Tai Chi Postures

Develop Strong Tai Chi Postures to Enhance Your Chi.

Good Tai Chi postures are a vital cornerstone to your Tai Chi practise. You will have ingrained into you by your teacher, over many months, if not years, terms like 9 point contact, central equilibrium and good grounding. These are all equally important fundamental areas for you to work on.

What does it all mean?

To learn how to develop sound postures takes many years of study and practise. By encouraging your body to move fluently, smoothly and developing a strong root to the ground, Tai Chi becomes more than just a set of Tai Chi postures. It will add a new dimension to your training, which will help you to gain maximum health benefits, from each and every posture.

How to stimulate your entire body with Chi using Effective Tai Chi Postures

Tai Chi works at a very deep level, no more so than on the tendons, which are connected to very strong meridian pathways. By flexing your tendons, Chi will travel down the meridian pathways into your feet. A very important meridian on the sole of both feet is the K1 (kidney One); when this important acupuncture point is stimulated, your chi will travel down through your body into your legs and feet. This stimulation of the K1 when activated will have a profound healing effect on the whole of your body. The Chi will help to calm your mind and relax your body. If your Tai Chi postures are not well balanced and are ungainly these positive effects will be lost to you. Your stance will be weak, which will make your Tai Chi useless for both health and martial art purposes.

Both knees must be kept flexed

It is very important in your Tai Chi postures that your knees are kept flexed, never locked and held in extension position; Apart from some of the kicks, where it is necessary to develop greater flexibility for better Chi flow. When you look, check that your toes are clearly visible. By keeping your knees flexed your root to the ground will become stronger and qi will be encouraged to flow more efficiently into the vital areas. By extending your joints this not only weakens your posture, but will cause wear and tear to your knees and lower back area. It places greater force onto these weak points, weakening your tendons, which stifles your chi flow.

Lower centre of gravity = better Tai Chi postures

By developing a lower centre of gravity your internal power will increase, your energy will become strong, postural problems will ease; your tantien (belly area), will be activated to aid to your Chi flow still further.

Good alignments are vital

It is really important that there is a strong connection between the crown of your head (GV-20) and your kidney meridian on the sole of both your feet (K1). This will encourage the Chi to flow from your tantien up into your spine into the Governing Vessel (GV-20) in your head. The Chi will travel through all parts of your body. Good posture will actively encourage this, in the same that energy is diminished through poor posture. Regular practice of Tai Chi is vital for improving the function of the spine, which is necessary to encourage energy flow throughout your entire body and meridian system.

Strengthening your legs

By moving in an efficient way, with your spine straight, knees flexed, chin pulled in and head held erect; this will encourage your leg muscles to be strengthened which is important for transfer of power in Tai Chi and any other martial art. Having a strong foundation is essential to developing strong Tai Chi postures.

Keep your chest hollowed

The chest must be hollowed, which aids the Qi to sink into your lower belly. This energy can vibrate through your entire body. The tongue must be kept on the roof of your mouth which encourages saliva production and open the airways. Breathing in through your nose will help you to draw in more oxygen into your body. If you raise your chest it starves the body of vital oxygen, a must for cell regeneration. By raising your head, it will loosen your neck and stop any tension entering into your shoulders. Shoulder tension is a big cause of postural problems.

Concentrate on the basics for exceptional Tai Chi postures

By gently focusing on all of the above areas, it will encourage your whole body to develop fantastic postures which will help to heal your mind and body. It is possible to cure many postural related health conditions by developing this fundamental part of your practise with excellent Tai Chi Postures.

If you would like further information on the wonderful benefits of regular Tai Chi Chuan practice or more details of our Podiatry and therapies service, please click on this website link provided:- Podiatryandwellbeing.co.uk